Italy

Marianna Bertagnolli/Associated Press

Italy is a unitary parliamentary republic in Southern Europe, bordering several neighboring countries to the north and consisting of the entire Italian peninsula to the south. It includes the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and encompasses the sovereign states of San Marino and Vatican City. Rome, its capital, was the political and religious center of the Western World for centuries.

Italy emerged from a fascist dictatorship under Benito Mussolini to become a democracy after World War II, later helping to found both NATO and the European Union. Having enjoyed a prolonged economic boom beginning in the 1940s, Italy has since suffered from economic stagnation and political paralysis, as well as government malfeasance typified by the misdeeds of former Prime Min Silvio Berlusconi. Matteo Renzi, who replaced Enrico Letta as prime minister in 2014, faces the challenge of shaking the country out of its economic malaise and rooting out corruption.

Learn more about Italy. Scroll below to view our archive of articles and chronology of latest news.

Chronology of Coverage

Mar. 28, 2015

Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation overturns murder convictions of former American exchange student Amanda Knox and Italian man Raffaele Sollecito; defendants are granted full acquittal in 2007 stabbing death of British student Meredith Kercher; full exoneration in such a complicated case is uncommon in the Italian justice system, and many react with initial disbelief. MORE

Mar. 26, 2015

Italy's highest court postpones by two days ruling on whether to uphold convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher. MORE

Mar. 25, 2015

Italy's highest court will issue final ruling on case of American college student Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who were accused of murdering British exchange student Meredith Kercher; ruling could start extradition process for Knox, who returned to Washington State in 2011 upon her acquittal. MORE

Mar. 24, 2015

Court case in Bologna, Italy, over whether to allow Catholic Easter blessing on grounds of elementary school is latest manifestation in country's drift away from government ties with Catholic Church. MORE

Mar. 18, 2015

Germany, France and Italy announce they will follow Britain and join Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, over objections made by United States; decision is likely to help Chinese Pres XI Jinping's efforts to alter global balance of power, and raises possibility that World Bank and International Monetary Fund will diminish in influence. MORE

Mar. 12, 2015

Italy's highest court upholds former Prime Min Silvio Berlusconi's acquittal in case in which he is accused of paying for sex with underage Moroccan prostitute Karima el-Mahroug; question remains as to whether acquittal will improve Berlusconi's fallen political standing. MORE

Mar. 8, 2015

Helene Stapinski travel article shares her return to Basilicata region on Italy's Ionian coast, home to her family four generations earlier; area, which includes Grassano, is dotted with Greek ruins, historic Christian churches and is largely free of tourists. MORE

Mar. 8, 2015

Mar. 5, 2015

Italian rescue ships save over 1,000 migrants and refugees from boats in Mediterranean Sea over span of two days, while 10 migrants die when a boat capsizes. MORE

Mar. 1, 2015

Ann Mah travel article on visit to Ravenna, Italy, modest city a few miles from Adriatic Sea offering Byzantine mosaics, which were named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1996. MORE

Feb. 20, 2015

European Commission says it will increase funds to Italy to help it handle surge of migrants fleeing Africa and Middle East by boat due to conditions in Libya; commission has pledge 13.7 million euros to assist unaccompanied minors and 18 million euros to bolster its border control operation. MORE

Feb. 15, 2015

Emma Moran, 115-year-old Italian woman who is oldest person in Europe and fifth oldest in world, attributes her longevity to eating three raw eggs a day and remaining single since 1938. MORE

Feb. 12, 2015

Italian court convicts captain Francesco Schettino of manslaughter in 2012 wreck of cruise ship Costa Concordia near Italian shore that killed 32 people; Schettino is sentenced to just over 16 years in prison. MORE

Feb. 12, 2015

Migrants rescued by Italian Coast Guard off shore of Libya describe harrowing ordeal involving overcrowded boats and rough seas as they attempted to reach Europe; over 300 people are reported to have died in incident, casting negative light on European program, known as Triton, responsible for patrolling continent's coast. MORE

Feb. 12, 2015

Unicredit announces that in last quarter of 2014 it returned to profit, reporting quarterly profit of 170 million euros, or around $192 million, compared with loss of 15 billion euros in year-ago period; bank is Italy's largest, but country's third largest bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena reports loss of 4.2 billion euros, indication that country's banking system is still recovering. MORE

Feb. 10, 2015

Italian Coast Guard ship rescues more than 100 migrants in rough seas off Libyan coast, but 29 die from exhaustion and exposure before reaching shore; migrants are among tens of thousands who pay smugglers to cross the Mediterranean in hope of finding a better life in the West. MORE

Feb. 8, 2015

Travel Q&A with journalist John Hooper in which he offers insiders advice to travelers wanting to see Italy's hidden gems. MORE

Feb. 1, 2015

Feb. 1, 2015

Sam Lubell travel article shares highlights of trip to Rome to seek out notable examples of contemporary architecture. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

Beppe Severgnini Op-Ed article notes that some Italians are concerned that global broadcasts of hit television show Gomorrah, which offers realistic tale about criminals in Naples, will negatively affect foreigners' perception of Italy; suggests that quality of the television show should alleviate Italians' doubts, as it implies that there is more to the country than one crime family. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

Pontassieve Journal; Italy's deepening financial crisis has brought steep rise in property taxes on medieval-era estates that pepper country's landscape, and owners have been forced to abandon or sell properties that have been in families for centuries; Torre a Decima castle in Pontassieve, seated above Tuscany's Chianti hills, is but one example of dramatic turn in Italy's inherited-wealth real estate market. MORE

Jan. 22, 2015

Italian authorities reveal $58 million in looted antiquities discovered during investigation into art dealer Gianfranco Becchina in Switzerland. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Italy launches international search for directors of several of its most important museums, country's first effort of the kind; goal is to bring about system shake-up and allow directors more influence and ability to modernize cultural institutions. MORE

Jan. 17, 2015

Italian Foreign Min Paolo Gentiloni denies that country paid ransom of $12 million euros, or about $14 million, for release of Greta Ramelli and Vanessa Marzullo, two aid workers taken hostage in Syria by Nusra Front. MORE

Jan. 16, 2015

Italian government announces that aid workers Greta Ramelli and Vanessa Marzullo, abducted by Islamic extremists in Syria in 2014, have been freed. MORE

Jan. 15, 2015

Italian Pres Giorgio Napolitano resigns two years into his second term; Napolitano, who was reelected in 2013 in order to ease political impasse, a first for an Italian president, never intended to serve full term; resignation raises challenging political situation for Prime Min Matteo Renzi as he seeks to avoid deadlock in finding successor. MORE

Jan. 11, 2015

Jan. 9, 2015

Passengers' tales of survival after being rescued from Norman Atlantic, ill-fated ferry that caught fire en route to Italy from Greece, offer glimpse into fear and anguish they experienced while waiting to be saved; cause of fire remains a mystery. MORE

Jan. 3, 2015

Italian authorities race to rescue hundreds of migrants from aging freighter that traffickers had pointed toward Italy, left on autopilot and then abandoned; episode is confirmation that traffickers have hit on new tactic for greater profits and ability to elude authorities. MORE

Jan. 1, 2015

Stormy weather in Adriatic Sea prevents Italian authorities from investigating deadly blaze that destroyed ferry traveling from Greece to Italy; 11 people died in fire and fate of estimated 98 others is unknown, as there are questions about exactly how many people were on board or if some were rescued by other vessels. MORE

Jan. 1, 2015

Italian Coast Guard rescues 970 migrants who were abandoned by smugglers by tracing satellite phone call from passenger asking for help; Moldavan-flagged cargo ship Blue Sky M was found to be on automatic pilot directed toward coast; migrants, mostly Syrians, arrive safely in Gallipoli located in southeastern Puglia region of Italy. MORE

Dec. 31, 2014

Weary passengers from downed ferry Norman Atlantic continue to arrive by ship to Mediterranean ports; Italian authorities fear death toll in ferry fire could be higher than 13 reported because of possibility that stowaways may have been trapped in hold. MORE

Dec. 30, 2014

Italian Navy, along with Greek and Albanian rescue workers, evacuate 427 people from burning ferry off coast of Greece; at least 10 people are dead and some passengers may still be missing; ferry caught fire en route to Ancona, Italy, from Greek port of Patras; questions arise about response of ship's crew and emergency preparations. MORE

Dec. 28, 2014

Danielle Pergament travel article shares her experience of taking her children to Tuscany for a month to learn Italian so they could become 'true citizens of the world.' MORE

Dec. 25, 2014

Neapolitan tradition known as 'suspended coffee,' in which customers pay for two coffees at cafes and leave receipt behind so that a stranger may receive free cup, is being revived both in Naples and around the world; simple act of generosity, which boomed during World War II, seeks to help those stricken by today's hard economic times. MORE

Dec. 25, 2014

Italy's cabinet approves parts of Prime Min Matteo Renzi's labor measure, known as Jobs Act, designed to revive Italy's labor market and bring in foreign investors; legislation will introduce new rules, including easing of restrictions that make it difficult to dismiss employees. MORE

Dec. 23, 2014

The American company, which allows travelers to rate hotels and restaurants around the world, said it would appeal the decision by the Italian competition watchdog. MORE

Dec. 14, 2014

Roger Cohen Op-Ed column describes interview with Italian Prime Min Matteo Renzi; observes that Renzi is struggling to get country to change its ways and embrace modernity. MORE

Dec. 12, 2014

Italian public is stunned by inquiry uncovering new criminal ring in heart of Rome that has bloomed into national scandal; two-year investigation lead to arrests of Massimo Carminati and 36 others accused of infiltrating contracts for a wide assortment of tasks including garbage collection and park maintenance. MORE

Dec. 7, 2014

Nancy Button Nathan The Getaway column recounts her 17-day trip through Italy, following a previously-traveled itinerary; discusses pleasures of revisiting familiar places. MORE

Dec. 4, 2014

Calenzano Journal; olive groves in Tuscany and other parts of Italy have been ravaged by fly known as Bactrocera oleae, as well as hailstorms, flooding and bacteria; devastation has translated into rising olive oil prices that will soon be felt by consumers worldwide. MORE

Dec. 3, 2014

Verrua Savoia Journal; Prof Daniele Trinchero and his team have built wireless Internet for Italian village of Verrua Savoia over last eight years with scavenged parts; Italy has one of lowest Internet use rates in Europe, with one-third of citizens having never used it. MORE

Dec. 1, 2014

Paul Krugman Op-Ed column challenges conventional wisdom that Europe's prolonged economic plight is due to the profligacy of member nations like Greece, Italy and France; argues core problem is beggar-thy-neighbor policies in Germany, saying nation has exported deflation to its neighbors and held to a misguided aversion to stimulus measures. MORE

Nov. 30, 2014

Nov. 29, 2014

European Union gives Belgium, France and Italy three more months to bring their budgets in line with legal requirements; decision is sign that European Commission under Jean-Claude Juncker will be sensitive to calls to ease up on austerity in Europe. MORE

Nov. 26, 2014

Lower house of Italy's Parliament passes Prime Min Matteo Renzi’s Jobs Act; move clears way for final approval in the Senate of a law aimed at simplifying rules on hiring and firing; bill has been fiercely opposed by labor unions. MORE

Nov. 19, 2014

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gather in Italian cities to protest plan by Prime Min Matteo Renzi to roll back some worker protections; lawmakers are considering proposals to water down plan, known as the Jobs Act, which had already been criticized by economists as inadequate to address economic problems. MORE

Nov. 12, 2014

Italy's biggest banks benefit from recent stress test; UniCredit reports third-quarter profit of 722 million euros, or $900 million, up from 204 million euros in year-ago quarter. MORE

Nov. 11, 2014

Italian appeals court clears seven prominent Italian earthquake experts who were accused of failing to adequately warn residents of seismically active are in months before 2009 earthquake that killed more than 300 people. MORE

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